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The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has put a block on any kind of public money being used on goods and services from Huawei, which is significant as one of the architects of forthcoming 5G technology.

Huawei devices head Richard Yu has previously said that he believes that the perceived threat is actually from competition, rather than security, which he claims is a manufactured threat.

In a statement, Huawei claims: "US authorities have made a series of allegations against Huawei that simply aren't true. We pose no security threat in any country.

"Huawei is a 100 per cent employee-owned company. No government agency has ever tried to intervene in our operations or decisions. US authorities should not base major legislative decisions on speculation and rumour.

"Our products and solutions are trusted in more than 170 countries and regions. In 30 years, not a single operator has experienced a security issue with our equipment. This includes US operators."

The news comes at a delicate time for Huawei as the company has released a range of products at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) and at an event in Paris last week.

The statement continues: "Since entering the US market in 2001, Huawei has focused on providing local operators with innovative products and solutions. We help local operators extend network coverage to underserved rural areas and bridge the digital divide. We are disappointed by the FCC's proposal.

"If adopted, rural operators will have fewer options available to them, and the consumers and businesses that depend on them will have less access to quality and convenient telecommunications services."

While the US government hasn't released any information that might back up its claims, the Chinese government has been accused of bugging the headquarters of the African Union so comprehensively that it couldn't have been done without the aid of Chinese corporates.

Sources that spoke to French newspaper Le Monde said that data from computers in the Chinese-built building had been transferred every night to servers in China for five years.

And, after the hack was discovered a year ago, the building's IT systems, including servers, were changed. During a sweep for bugs after the discovery, microphones were found hidden in desks and the walls, according to Le Monde.

China's ambassador to the African Union, Kuang Weilin, called the article "ridiculous and preposterous", according to The Guardian.